Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-Class frigate HMCS Fredericton departed the Canadian Forces Base Halifax on January 5 to deploy to the Mediterranean Sea.

The ship’s deployment is part of the Canadian Armed Forces’ Operation Reassurance that is aimed to support NATO’s efforts in promoting security and stability in Central and Eastern Europe.

HMCS Fredericton concluded a deployment to the same operation in July 2015 after spending seven months in the Mediterranean Sea. It was relieved from its Standing NATO Maritime Group II post by HMCS Winnipeg. Winnipeg later left SNMG II and joined SNMG I to attend the Defense & Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2015 exhibition in London, United Kingdom, in mid-September, 2015.

Throughout HMCS Fredericton’s previous deployment, the frigate participated in a variety of training exercises with NATO and non-NATO forces including exercises in the Black Sea, Exercise Joint Warrior, Exercise Dynamic Mongoose, and Exercise Baltops.